Ashanti
/əˈʃæn.ti/noun
A member of the Akan people of central Ghana, or relating to their historic kingdom and culture.
Did you know?Ashanti is the older English spelling of Asante, the name associated with the powerful Asante Empire, whose ruler was called the Asantehene.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 18th Century
Akan
Asante
“The indigenous form of the ethnonym and kingdom name; its precise original derivation remains debated.”
18th Century
Twi
Asante
“The name of the Akan-speaking state that expanded into a major West African empire.”
18th–19th Century
European usage
Ashanti
“A European spelling of Asante, shaped by colonial-era pronunciation and transcription.”
19th Century
English
Ashanti
“The established English name for the people, kingdom, and related region in what is now Ghana.”
Modern English
English
Ashanti
“A term referring to the Asante people, their history, language, or cultural traditions.”
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